Emmy
by saraji 06
Summary: A fire destroys Emmy's life in the course of one night.  She is sent to live with her aunt and uncle in McKee, Kentucky, which just happens to be next to an enchanted forest.  Adventure and drama invade Emmy's previously quiet life in this story.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: All characters and ideas in this story are mine. I did not plagurize anything. Comments and advice are very welcome.

**Please review and tell me your thoughts on the story. Thanks!****

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**Ch. 1**

**July 16, 2009, San Francisco **

Sixteen-year-old Emmy Burdick wandered into her living room and plopped down on the soft, red couch situated in front of the large double-paned window overlooking the front yard. She was overflowing with happiness; Josh Massey, the cutest guy in school, had kissed her! _Oh my heck,_ she thought, dazed from the kiss. She didn't notice her mother's laundry hamper sitting next to the wall on the tan shag carpet, or the new pictures hanging on the beautiful, white walls; her mind was too preoccupied to notice any subtle changes to the living room. She did notice, vaguely, that the cream-colored lay-z-boy was on the other side of the room, as well as the reading lamp that was always next to it. A small square stained-glass table sat in the middle of the room, bearing a white vase with a small bouquet of carefully arranged pink and white lilies. Warm evening light from outside lit up the room, making everything seem cheery and welcoming and causing the table and vase to sparkle.

"Emmy?" her mother, having heard the front door close, called as she came into the living room. She smiled as she saw the smile and light in Emmy's eyes. "How was your date?"

Emmy's mother, Janice, looked like her daughter. She had the same cinnamon-colored hair and blue-gray eyes, and they sounded almost exactly alike; Emmy's voice was slightly deeper than Janice's, though. They were both five-foot three, though Janice always said Emmy would be taller than her someday. Like her mother, Emmy had a good sense of humor and loved to laugh.

Emmy smiled happily. "Josh Massey kissed me on the front porch." She sighed happily, reliving the moment. Josh's car was idling by the curb as they walked up to the small, white Venetian-style porch. Before they reached the door, he held her close, looked down into her eyes, said, "I love you," and kissed her gently on the lips. _I will never forget that kiss,_ Emmy promised herself.

"I take it your date went well, then." Janice smiled gently, watching her daughter's face. They sat together a while longer, then Janice broke the silence.

"We should eat," she said gently.

Emmy sighed. "Ok, Mom." Still slightly dazed, she pushed herself off the couch, crossed the living room, entered the hallway and continued toward the kitchen.

The kitchen was similar to the living room; it had white walls and a large, square stained-glass table in the center, with another white vase containing pink and white lilies as the centerpiece. Two elegantly carved cherry-wood chairs were across from each other. A small window set in the wall above the stove allowed the last dying rays of sunlight to penetrate the room, seeming to make everything glow with orange warmth.

Emmy felt her stomach rumble. "Mom, what are we having for dinner?"

"Shrimp casserole," Janice replied from the living room.

_Mm, yummy,_ Emmy thought, already tasting the hot, spicy shrimp, the soft, steaming broccoli and cauliflower, and the Cream of Chicken soup that was always drizzled over everything. Her stomach rumbled even more as she contemplated dinner, so she started making it.

A short while later Janice came in, helped her daughter finish making shrimp casserole, set it in the oven, and set the stove timer for thirty minutes. She then turned to Emmy.

"I need you to clean your room while dinner is cooking. You've put it off for days now, and it looks like a pigsty."

Emmy looked at her mother, her eyes questioning. "Mom, a pigsty is worse than my room," she stated. "Why should I clean it?"

Janice sighed. _This argument again…_ "Because I asked you to, and you need to develop the habit now, while you are young."

"But Mom-"

"No 'buts,' Emmy. If you don't clean your room, you won't be seeing Josh Massey for two weeks," Janice stated, looking her daughter in the eye. "Please don't argue with me."

Emmy knew that look in her mother's eyes: _no arguments or you will be grounded._ She opened her mouth to object, then closed it again as the impact of Janice's words sank in. Emmy glared at Janice, anger seething inside her like a serpent preparing to strike. "Fine," she spat, turned sharply on her heel, and marched back through the hallway to her room.

Emmy stopped and scowled at her floor. _Mom's right,_ she thought grumpily. _I do need to clean._ Clothes, books, and papers littered the bedroom floor, making it difficult to see the carpet underneath. Emmy's twin bed was pushed against the far wall, with the headboard touching the right-hand wall. A rumpled light blue quilt lay on the bed, evidence that she hadn't made her bed that morning. Her accessories rested on the cream-colored sill of a long, rectangular window just above her bed; the window itself had a thick white curtain partially covering it. The uncovered part of the window showed an orange-and-blue vista, with the yellow-orange sun sinking slowly beneath the waves of the sea and coloring the sky a vivid orange.

Emmy cleaned up her room, put her dirty clothes in her laundry hamper, and then took them through the hallway and the kitchen to the laundry room. The washer had her mother's clothes in it, so she placed them in the dryer. She then put her clothes and some soap in the washer, started it, then grabbed the vacuum from its place next to the washer and exited the room.

"Honey, don't forget to vacuum your room," Janice called from the kitchen.

"I'll do it after dinner," Emmy grumbled to herself, still angry at being told what to do.

Just then the timer beeped, announcing that the casserole was done. Emmy deposited the vacuum by her bedroom door, entered the kitchen, saw her mother removing the casserole from the oven and the table already set, sat down, and stared at her plate. She couldn't help tracing the intricate silver patterns with her eyes and, despite herself, feeling the anger trickle slowly away.

They ate dinner in silence. After she was done, Emmy rinsed her dishes and set them on the sideboard, vacuumed her room, then gratefully lay down on her bed.

"Emmy, did you start the dryer?"

Emmy's head turned toward the door. Janice was leaning on the doorframe, surveying the room. "Much better, Emmy, much better," she added with a smile.

Emmy stared at Janice in a tired daze. "What?"

"Did you start the dryer?"

Emmy thought back, trying to remember if she had started the dryer or not. "Uh…no, I don't think I did. Sorry, Mom; I'll go do it." _Why did she have to say that right when I lay down?_ She sat up slowly, swung her feet over the edge of the bed, meandered to the laundry room, and started the dryer. In her tired daze she forgot to check the dryer screen, therefore she didn't notice the thick mat of lint on the it or think of the possibility that a fire might start.

Emmy wandered back to her room, exhausted from the excitement of the day and her anger at her mother. _Wow, I can't believe how tired I am, _she mused as she flopped down on her soft, warm, inviting bed. She smiled softly as she thought back on her date with Josh, and a giggle escaped her lips. _Oh, crud. I forgot to vaccume... no, I did it,_ she thought with relief just before sleep claimed her.

* * *

Emmy woke in the middle of the night to searing heat and the sight of yellow-orange flames covering her walls. The fire roared all around Emmy, scorching her hair and skin with its intense heat. Smoke and burning air filled her lungs as she tried to breathe, causing her to cough violently as she flung her quilt over her body to shield against falling embers, staggered off her bed, and worked her way toward her bedroom door. She reached her hand out through the quilt and grasped the doorknob, but yelped in pain and pulled it back, nursing it briefly; the doorknob was unbelievably hot. Panic and adrenaline controlled her mind as she desperately searched for a way out of her room. _The window,_ she thought suddenly. Emmy made her way back through her burning room to her window and crashed through it, heedless of the few glass shards that cut through the blanket and embedded themselves in her skin as she broke through it and landed on the hot sand beneath the window.

Emmy got to her feet and staggered away from her house. She collapsed on the beach after twenty yards, devoid of the energy to go any further. Darkness crept across Emmy's vision, and just before she passed out she heard sirens wailing somewhere close by. An image of her mother, with her amber hair and blue-gray eyes, flashed before her mind's eye and she thought, _Mother, _before the darkness overwhelmed her.

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**I can't make it any better unless I get reviews, people. PLEASE, when you read this, REVIEW it.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Ch. 2**

A few days after the fire, the city officials looked into her history and uncovered the location of her only living aunt and uncle, Cecil and Marie Collins, in McKee, Kentucky, contacted them, and apprised them of the situation. Cecil and Marie offered to adopt her, and the arrangements were made. Emmy was to move to Kentucky within the month.

Emmy lived with her best friend, Sarah Reeves, while she, Sarah, Josh, and other friends of the family searched through the charred, ruined remains of Emmy's house for any useable items before Emmy had to leave. That time was emotionally wracking for Emmy; she was leaving behind everything and everyone she had ever known to move to a place she had never heard of.

July twenty-seventh arrived, and Cecil came to take Emmy to McKee. Evening light painted everything orange-gold, lending a dreamlike quality to everything it touched.

"Remember to e-mail me," Sarah said as she and Josh helped pack Emmy's few remaining belongings into the back of Cecil's van. Her voice quivered, and tears started flowing down her face as she looked at Emmy, remembering every last detail of her; this was likely the last time they would see each other.

Emmy smiled through her own tears and enveloped her best friend in a bear hug. "I will."

"Emmy, I can't breathe," Sarah croaked. Emmy released her and, smiling sadly, turned to Josh.

They stared at each other, and then Josh finally broke the silence.

"Write me when you can, Emmy," he said, smiling at her. "I'll want to know everything that happens to you on your trip," Josh added jokingly, easing the melancholy mood that hung in the air around the three friends.

Emmy's smile brightened somewhat. "Thanks, Josh, I'll write. I'll write everyone when I get access to a computer or find lined paper and a pencil." She hugged him then, and didn't let go for a few minutes.

"Come on, Emmy, let's go," Cecil called from the driver's seat. Emmy hugged both her friends one last time, then climbed into the passenger seat and closed the car door. She turned and looked out the window at her two friends, waving until they disappeared from view.

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The trip from San Francisco to McKee was uneventful. They stayed the night at a small motel in Salt Lake City, Utah, traveled to Columbia, Missouri where they spent the following night, then traveled the rest of the way to McKee.

McKee was a small town with around 800 people. The center of the town was comprised mostly of shops, grocery stores, and schools, while the bulk of the population was spread over the wooded hills that surrounded McKee.

_Oh my heck,_ Emmy thought as they drove through town on July twenty-ninth. _I've never seen a town this small before; I didn't think a town this size even existed!_ As she stared, she saw one movie theatre, a few game shops, and a snack shop. People walked alongside the street, intent on getting to their destinations. _What do they do for fun around here? _she wondered, uneasy at the prospect of living in what she saw as a small, potentially boring place.

They turned onto a small side street and stopped at a stop sign. 'Indian Springs Drive,' the street sign read. Emmy stared at it, thinking, _I am _definitely _not in California anymore._ Cecil turned onto Indian Springs Drive and continued until he saw 'Cherokee Drive' written on a similar street sign a few hundred yards down the road.

"We're almost there," he told Emmy. Cecil looked over at his niece. Emmy was looking out the passenger window, her face turned away from him.

Cecil smiled to himself, supposing that Emmy liked McKee, turned onto Cherokee Drive and pulled to a stop in front of a light blue, medium-sized two-story house with a large maple tree in the front yard.

Emmy stared at the house. _Looks nice enough, I suppose. _She got out of the car, unpacked her things from the van with Cecil's help, and took them into the front room.

"I'll show you your room," Cecil said as he crossed to a set of stairs with thick, white carpet. Emmy followed him and soon found herself in a quaint little room. A plain bed rested against the left hand wall and a small, cream-colored dresser sat beside the foot of the bed; a window was directly opposite the bed, displaying a serene forest of majestic maple, oak and yellow-orange poplar trees.

"Feel free to arrange the room; it's yours now, after all," Cecil told her.

Emmy nodded. "Thanks, Uncle." She wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone at the moment.

Cecil left soon after helping her bring the rest of her luggage up to her room, promising that Marie would be home around six o'clock that evening, leaving Emmy with about three hours to herself.

Emmy surveyed her room with a heavy heart. It was much smaller than her room in San Francisco had been, with off-white walls and the same white carpet as the stairs. There was no closet, and she doubted that she would be able to fit all her clothes inside that tiny dresser. _I might as well get started,_ she thought with a heavy sigh. _Clothes first…_

To her surprise she was able to fit all her clothes into the dresser; she left the bed where it was, figuring that moving it anywhere else would make the room seem even smaller than it was. Her few remaining accessories were placed on top of the dresser and her quilt was tossed on the bed. _I'll fix it later, _she thought.

Emmy looked around, hardly able to believe that she was done unpacking. _I could have sworn I had more belongings than that! Maybe they're still in the back of Uncle Cecil's van… No, we got everything out… perhaps I had less than I thought._

Emmy plopped down on her bed and stared at her new room for a few minutes. "I do not feel like writing_,_" she said to herself. "I think I'm going to sleep." _After all the stress I've had, I need it,_ she added. Emmy lay down, pulled the blanket over head, and waited for sleep to come.


	3. Chapter 3

**Ch. 3**

"Emmy, wake up, dinner's ready," Aunt Marie said, shaking her gently. Emmy's mind rose from its slumber at the sound of a voice.

"Mmm…" Emmy replied sleepily and turned over.

"Wake up, Emmy. It's time to eat," Aunt Marie repeated gently.

Emmy opened her eyes to the lovely sight of her bedroom wall staring her in the face. _That's nice._ "What is dinner?" she asked groggily.

"Tuna fish mulligan."

_Ew… disgusting._ "Mm." Emmy pushed herself into a sitting position. "I'll be down soon, okay?"

Aunt Marie smiled. "See you at the dinner table," she said, and left the room.

Emmy sat, staring into space. Her eyes wandered to the window and the forest outside it. _Is that a horse?_ she wondered, sighting a horse-like figure moving just inside the edge of the forest. _No…it isn't a horse. At least, I don't think it is… _

"Emmy! Come down here," Aunt Marie called from the kitchen. "Dinner is ready, and it'll get cold if you wait much longer!"

Emmy hurried out of her room and made it down the stairs without tripping over her feet. She entered the living room, turned down a hallway and entered the kitchen.

_This is _nothing_ like my kitchen,_ Emmy thought in dismay at the sight of pots and pans lying on the counter, some clean, some dirty. _What did I expect, though? That everything would be exactly like home? Yeah…that is what I expected._

The dining table was pushed against the far wall. Three plain metal chairs were situated around it, two at either end and one facing the wall. A sliding glass door behind the table opened onto a white deck with a turquoise bench swing off to one side. Wooden railing encircled the deck, stopping at the stairs next to the house. The forest was slightly imposing this close, thought Emmy.

"Emmy, get in here. You can explore the forest later."

"Okay..."

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Dinner went slowly. Very little conversation was made, mostly because nobody knew what to talk about, and the few questions Aunt Marie asked Emmy were answered curtly. When dinner was finally over, Emmy took her dishes over to the sink and set them in the steaming water to soak, glancing out the window as she did so; it was almost dark outside. As she climbed the stairs to her room she heard the front door slam and Uncle Cecil call out, "Marie, I'm home! Did you leave any dinner for me?"

"Of course I left you dinner," Aunt Marie replied, laughing as she did so. "How was work?"

"Same as always. How's Emmy settling in?"

Emmy paused on the stairs to listen.

"I suppose she's doing ok. It is her first day here, after all; you can't expect her to jump into our way of life head-first just after losing her mother, can you?"

Uncle Cecil sighed. "No, I guess not..."

Emmy had heard enough. _At least Aunt Marie has sense enough to know that I can't just pretend what happened didn't happen. _She continued up the stairs and entered her room, intending to lay down and sleep. She paused directly across from her window as a thought flashed through her mind. _Just out of curiosity..._ Emmy crossed to the window and looked out to the darkened forest. _OMG! What the heck is that?_

A centaur stood just clear of the forest border, bold and unafraid of being seen. The rising moon shed its light on his lean, muscular body, causing him to glow slightly with ghostly luminescence. The horse half of his body was a dark chestnut brown, as was his long, straight hair, which fell past his shoulders. He carried a quiver of arrows and a strung bow across his broad back; a sheathed saber lay perpendicular under the quiver, held in place by a black belt which crossed his chest and made an X with the quiver belt. His hands hung at his sides, his rugged, angular face was turned toward her, and Emmy swore she could feel his black eyes boring into her soul.

Emmy pulled back from the window as if she had been stung. She slammed the window shut and pulled the curtains across it.

"I just saw a centaur..." Emmy gasped in shock. "A real centaur! But they can't exist! They're only in myths and legends!" She moved slowly to her bed and sat down. "A real centaur..."

"Emmy, come down here please," Uncle Cecil called.

Emmy walked downstairs in a daze.

"I know this is your first day here," Aunt Marie said, "but we need to know whether or not to enroll you in school next week or wait until next autumn."

Uncle Cecil cleared his throat. "There's no need to make the decision tonight. Think on it and let us know in a day or two, OK?"

_Huh? What-oh, right; when do I want to go to school,_ Emmy thought distractedly. "Uh, I'll take the autumn," she said. _After all, that'll give me time to investigate the centaur; a whole summer's worth of time, and more._ She smiled at her aunt and uncle.

"Are you sure?" Cecil and Marie asked in unison. "We don't want to over-burden you," Aunt Marie added, looking at her niece with concern.

"I'm sure."

"Well, then. We'll do our best to remember to register you when autumn comes around again," Uncle Cecil replied.

Emmy smiled again and turned to ascend the stairs once more.

"Emmy," Aunt Marie called.

"Yes?"

Aunt Marie hesitated, then said, "Good night."

Emmy smiled. " 'Night, Aunt Marie, Uncle Cecil."

* * *

Ten minutes later Emmy was staring out her window again. _Where did he go?_ she wondered, saddened that the centaur had gone. Determination soon replaced the sadness, and she resolved to find that centaur. She listened for her aunt and uncle, not really expecting them to have gone to bed in such a short time. _I thought not,_ she thought with wry humor when she heard voices downstairs. _Out the window it is. First, though: packing... _Emmy looked at her room. _Nah, I'll be back before the night is over. _She smiled, thinking that if her aunt and uncle ever found out, it'd be extremely funny watching their reactions. _After all, it's not like I haven't done this sort of thing before. _Emmy opened her window again, planned a quick route to the ground, and escaped the confines of her room. She landed on the ground with a soft thud; she froze, waiting to see if anyone had heard the noise. Seconds seemed like minutes as she waited. Finally, she decided it was safe to move and headed for the forest.

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_Hm..._ Leilita thought from the forest boughs as she watched Emmy leave her house and follow Jaredan. Her lips curved in a vicious smile. _Here's another chance to cause trouble between the humans and the centaurs. A war would be exactly what we night-elves need._ She chuckled to herself as she watched Emmy enter the forest. _Yes, that's what we need..._


	4. Chapter 4

**Ch. 4**

The trees towered over Emmy, lending the forest night a sinister feeling and sending shivers down her spine. She was a ways inside the border now, and was starting to think she ought to turn back.

_Maybe this wasn't such a good idea..._

The night seemed to close in around her, playing tricks on her mind.

Crack, rustle, snap!

Emmy's breath caught in her chest. She could feel herself hyper-ventilating, and she couldn't shake the feeling that she was being watched.

"Who's there?" she squeaked. _Curses! That wasn't supposed to come out as a squeak! _She turned around, almost tripping over her own feet as she did so, scanning the forest around her for any movement. She could feel her asthma acting up, could feel her windpipe constricting, and she couldn't stop it. _No, no, no, not now,_ she thought. She felt light-headed and swayed where she stood.

More branches snapped behind her, and Emmy spun around and found herself face to face with thin air. "St-stop playing games with me! I'm warning you, I'll call the cops!"

"Dear, you won't be able to call the...'cops,' " a female voice said from above her.

Emmy jumped and looked up into the dense forest canopy; she couldn't see anything. When she looked back down she found herself looking at an elf. Emmy couldn't stop the scream from bursting out of her. She stumbled backward, tripped, and landed on her backside, knocking the air out of herself.

Leilita strolled forward as Emmy gasped for air and pushed the end of her bow on Emmy's chest. "Just what is a young girl doing out in the woods in the middle of the night? If I didn't know any better I'd say you were looking for something. Or someone. It wouldn't be that brainless centaur, Jaraden, would it? And why'd you scream? I'm not that scary, am I?" Leilita asked, baring her teeth in what resembled a smile.

_Scary...scary..._ Emmy stared at Leilita, not sure what to make of her. "Why do you care?" she gasped, pushing her fear away temporarily. "Get off me!" She grabbed the bow in an attempt to push it off her. Moonlit metal flashed and Emmy found a blade against her throat.

"I see the fear in your eyes, girl," Leilita stated coldly. "I know you have the Sight. As such, you will help me if you want to live."

Emmy's mouth went dry; she nodded once, feeling the blade bite into her neck as she did. A slow trickle of blood ran down her skin; Emmy's already racing heart sped up as another adrenaline rush flooded her system. _The sight? What's that?_

A cold smile crossed Leilita's face. She sheathed her blade then hauled Emmy to her feet. "Come with me," Leilita said as she set the bow down and reached into a pouch on her belt. She withdrew a fistful of powdered white stone, threw it in the air, and dragged Emmy with her into the dust. To anyone watching, they disappeared into the white cloud and never exited.


	5. Chapter 5

**Ch. 5**

Emmy's stomach threatened to expel what was left of her dinner as she stepped out of the white cloud. She gagged as bile forced its way up to her mouth, and only Leilita's firm grip on her arm kept her from doubling over and complying with her stomach's wishes.

Leilita smiled when she heard Emmy gag. _First-timers always get upset stomaches,_ she thought to herself.

Emmy looked around her in awe as her captor steered her through the war camp they had arrived at. Tents were staked out in rows as far as she could see; directly ahead of her a busy blacksmith's workshop was crowded in among other forges, all of them producing weaponry or armor. Barrels of spears sat next to a large, open-air pavilion where five elves stood around a table.

Leilita led Emmy past the pavilion to a large, central tent. Two elves, armed with sabers, throwing knives, and a bow and arrow set each, stood guard outside the tent opening. They snapped to attention as Leilita passed them, saluted, then returned to their positions once Leilita and Emmy entered the confines of the tent. "Kvetina," Leilita said with a nod to a female elf sitting on a wooden stool. Kvetina returned the nod. "Welcome back, Lieutenant."

Leilita continued forward, dragging Emmy with her. "Ow! Let go of my arm!" Emmy complained as Leilita pulled her into another room in the tent. Leilita ignored her and continued forward until she stood in front of an elegantly carved throne.

"Siveya," Leilita said respectfully and bowed low to the elf sitting on the throne.

"Leilita," Siveya replied lovingly. "It's good to have you back."

"It is good to be back, Mother."

"Who is this?" Siveya asked, motioning toward Emmy.

"This," Leilita said as she pulled Emmy forward, "is the girl who moved into the Collins' house. She has the Sight," Leilita added as she let go of Emmy's arm, no longer feeling the need to keep her constrained.

"The Collins' house? Any relation to Cecil and Marie Collins, girl?" Siveya asked Emmy, her gaze riveted on the girl.

Emmy looked at Siveya with unease. _Say 'no,' _a voice inside Emmy's head whispered. _What? _Emmy thought in surprise.

"I'm waiting," Siveya said impatiently.

"N-no, I don't have any relation to the Collins," Emmy replied, her voice shaking as she did so.

"Hm."

Emmy held her breath, praying that they wouldn't see through her lie. She watched as Siveya inspected her from the throne, and could barely keep from trembling when Siveya motioned her to the throne.

"I can tell you're lying to me," Siveya whispered in Emmy's ear, "but for the sake of your life I will say nothing." Emmy stared at the elf with surprise and confusion, not quite sure if she believed this strange person who had an air of power about her.

Leilita watched all this with increasing suspicion. "What should I do with her, Mother?" Leilita asked, watching Siveya carefully.

"Do what you want."

* * *

Emmy sat in her small one-man tent, reflecting on the events of the past few days. _Man, I bet Aunt Marie and Uncle Cecil are wondering where I am. They're probably going crazy with worry,_ she thought regretfully. _I should have never snuck out. I am essentially a prisoner now, with no idea why, or what 'the Sight' is. Never mind, I AM a prisoner, no 'essentially' about it._

_You are right, you shouldn't have snuck out._

"What?" Emmy looked around her for the source of the voice before remembering there was no one except her in the tent. "Where are you, and who are you?"

_I'm your uncle, Emmy. Uncle Cecil. I knew you would eventually sneak out to the forest, so I established a mind link between us when we arrived in McKee. _

"What-"

_Think what you want to say and I'll 'hear' it,_ Cecil said hurriedly. _Now, listen to me. Trust Siveya; she is your only friend in that camp you're in. She will watch out for you and protect you from her daughter, Leilita. Leilita sees every other species as inferior to the Night Elves and has launched a campaign to bring every other creature in the forest and the surrounding areas under Night Elf control, including the humans on the edges of the forest._

_Emmy, it is imperative that you escape. You are one of the missing links to her campaign; you have the Sight, the ability to see the future and the present. You could provide her with information vital to her success: weak points in the defenses of the other forest dwellers' colonies, the locations of human towns, including McKee, along the border, etc. _

_Uncle,_ Emmy interrupted, _why should I trust anybody in this camp? For all I know, they could all be on Leilita's payroll, even Siveya. I agree that Leilita is bad, possibly even evil, but what about the others?_

Cecil sighed. _Trust me, Emmy. I know more about the affairs of the forest denizens than you do, and I know that right now, Siveya is your only friend, aside from Marie and myself._

_Aunt Marie has freaky mind powers too? Jeez, Uncle! Why didn't you tell me this?_

_Because you would have looked at me like I was a freak and wouldn't have trusted me when you needed to,_ Cecil stated.

_Mm...I just had a thought, Uncle. If we can hear each other, what about others? Can others listen in on our conversations? _

_Only if you allow them to, _Cecil reassured her. _I'll teach you how later; for now, let me contact you. Now-_

_Someone's here! _The tent flap opened, and Emmy was temporarily blinded by light from the setting sun. The silhouette of a woman entered the tent, closed the flap, sat down next to Emmy and whispered, "Don't make a sound. Siveya sent me to tell you to be ready to escape before moon rise." The woman handed Emmy a black nightingale pin. "Keep this hidden. Someone will contact you when it is time; they'll show you a replica of this pin. When they do, be ready to run."

The woman left, leaving Emmy alone again. Emmy inspected the pin she had been given, but due to the low light was unable to make out any of the details. She turned the pin over in her hands, her fingers telling her what her eyes couldn't. Grooves were etched into the pin, outlining wing feathers, the eyes and beak, and the intricate details of the tail and feet.

_...What did the woman give you, Emmy?_ Cecil asked, his voice neutral.

_She gave me a pin. A black nightingale pin with extremely intricate details._

_That pin is Siveya's personal seal; that she gave it to you freely is unheard of. I suspect she aims to gain your trust by helping you escape. Did the messenger say who would show you the pin's twin?_

_No. She just said that someone would show me a replica of this pin and that when they did, I should be ready to run._

_Hm... _Cecil was quiet as he examined the situation. _Trust Siveya. Right now, she is your best chance of surviving._

_Ok, so I should wait until I'm contacted?_

_Yes._

* * *

Leilita sat in her tent, reflecting on her mother's strange actions, and, more importantly, Emmy's lack of reaction to whatever Siveya had whispered. _Something is not right. The Seer should have quaked with fear, or backed away, or done _something_ instead of standing there. _

Two of Leilita's personal guard entered the tent then, dragging a struggling servant between them. "Milady, we saw Tana enter and exit the Seer's tent," one reported as they threw the woman on the ground before the elven princess.

Leilita focused her gaze on Siveya's servant. Tana stared back at Leilita, her face set in defiance. "Let me go, Leilita. You have no right to do this."

"Really? I believe I do," Leilita replied coolly. "The girl is my property. I have the authority to question anyone when it concerns the Seer. Now, what do you know of my mother's plans concerning the girl?"

Tana stared at the floor, refusing to reply. Leilita reached out and grabbed Tana's hair and pulled, forcing her to stand, smiling cruelly as a whimper escaped Tana's lips. "What are my mother's plans for the girl?" she asked in a sweet, mocking voice. "From your refusal to speak, I know you have something to do with my mother and the Seer. You might as well make it easier on yourself and tell me what you know."

Tana remained silent, watching as Leilita's smile turned to a grimace at her continued refusal to speak.

"Fine," Leilita spat. "We'll do this the hard way. Hold her," she commanded her guards as she turned to a table holding a vial of clear liquid. Leilita retrieved the vial, drew a dagger from its place on her hip, and turned back to her captive. "I gave you a chance," Leilita said.

Tana tensed when she saw the vial and dagger in Leilita's hands. She struggled as the elf came closer, but to no avail; Leilita's guards held her fast. "Please, Lieutenant, don't do this," Tana pleaded as the dagger came closer to her skin. "I don't know anything except what I was told to tell the girl."

Leilita paused. "And that would be...?"

Tana told Leilita how the queen had given her to take a message to Emmy. "I swear, I don't know anything," Tana added after she finished.

"Mother," Leilita spat. "Of course! I should have known she would want the girl to escape. She's been against my campaign from the beginning. Well. The Seer won't escape so easily. By the way, what is her name?"

"Emmy," Tana whispered, thankful that she was still alive.

"Emmy..." _The name matches her,_ Leilita thought. She turned to her guards. "Wait until moonrise, then bring her to me," she commanded. "I'll get my mother," Leilita added darkly. "She should not have interfered."


	6. Chapter 6

**A.N. **

**Sorry for changing chapter five, people. :) I actually work on the chapters _on_ this site, so bear with me.**

**IMPORTANT: THIS STORY WILL BE MOVED TO FictionPress IN A FEW DAYS. IF YOU WISH TO CONTINUE READING IT, GO THERE OR ASK ME TO EMAIL IT TO YOU PER CHAPTER. Until I can get another story going, there will be no more changes to Emmy.**

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**Ch. 6**

Evening fell, the moon rose, and no one came. Emmy lay awake, waiting for her signal. _Why is no one coming? _She sat up, rubbing her arms to restore warmth and failing. Suddenly Emmy heard someone running toward the tent and scooted to one of the front corners, tendrils of doubt and apprehension worming their way into her mind.

Two guards burst into the tent as though they were looking for someone. Fear blossomed in Emmy and she scooted farther into the corner, attempting to remain hidden. It didn't work; the guard carrying twin sabers across his back turned at the movement.

"Get up," he ordered, dragging Emmy to her feet as he spoke.

"Who are you? Where are you taking me?" Emmy asked fearfully as she was dragged outside her tent.

" 'Saber' to you," he said, glancing down at her. "Leilita wants a word," he added, a cruel smile on his lips.

**xxxxxx**

_Uncle, help me,_ Emmy thought desperately as she was marched to Leilita's tent. _I'm in trouble! Leilita wants something from me, and there's these two guards who dragged me out of my tent, and Uncle, I think she might kill me!_ No thoughts answered her unspoken plea, and she felt despair and fear constrict her heart.

Raised voices greeted the three as the they stopped in front of a large tent next to the cooking section. The two guards hesitated, gauging the situation by the intensity of Leilita's voice. "She wants the girl; let's give her to Leilita," Saber said. "Such a pretty little thing," he added regretfully, touching Emmy's face lightly. Emmy's heart threatened to explode as she felt his hand slide down her throat. _She will be mine... Let Leilita see her, then spirit the girl away tonight, and the blame will fall on 'Her Highness.' Yes, that will work... _

"The girl is Leilita's," Saber's companion stated coldly, his eyes on Saber. "Not yours."

_One minor issue, though, _Saber added as his hand dropped from Emmy's throat. _Saran. _"I know that," Saber snapped, and pushed through the tent flap.

Leilita and Siveya stood in the center of the tent, each stiff with anger.

"What!" Leilita snapped.

"Milady, the Seer is here," Saber replied.

Siveya and Leilita turned to face him, and the rage on Leilita's face sent shivers down his spine.


End file.
